A VACANT care home in Burnham could be turned into seven new homes under new plans to overhaul the site.


The former Gables care home in Grove Road was forced to close because there was not enough space and flexibil¬ity for it to meet modern care standards to make the business viable.


The detached two story house was built at the turn of the 18th/19th Centuries and was converted for use as the care home by building two story and single storey extensions.


The new plans, for one two-bed¬room house, four two-bedroom flats and two one bedroom flats, have been submit¬ted by New Shore Developments and include demolishing some of the build¬ing's ground floor extensions to make way for the development.


The company states in their design and access statement, submitted along with the planning application to Sedgemoor District Council, that they will help retain the building's historical features.


It states: “The conversion of the remaining existing building will be sym¬pathetic to retaining the original house room sizes and proportions where possi¬ble, the main access stair being an example.


Newer extensions will have a pitched gable roof feature to match the appear¬ance of the original building and help weathering. Bay windows and porch details will be introduced with period
style windows to regenerate the peri¬od feature of the original building.”


The development will provide one parking space per flat and two for the house, with Grove Road and Berrow Road providing the rest of the on street parking.


Sedgemoor District Council's afford¬able housing policy and development manager, Duncan Harvey, who has been consulted on the scheme, told the News he welcomes the proposal as it will pre¬vent the building standing empty and will make some contribution towards providing affordable housing in the area.